Facebook lets users limit data shared with third-party apps

Alexei Oreskovic

Facebook has introduced new features that let users limit how much personal information they share with third-party mobile apps, a move meant to quell privacy concerns as the social network seeks to become a top entry port to the internet.

In recent years, Facebook has successfully encouraged a growing number of third-party app makers to allow users to log in with their Facebook identity rather than by entering an email address or creating a dedicated account.

The result has been an influx of valuable data for the world's No. 1 social network, but concerns have also mounted about third-party developers gaining access to private information.

Facebook's Anonymous Login tool.

Chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said at Facebook's f8 developer conference in San Francisco on Wednesday that Anonymous Login will allow users to try third-party apps that ask users to login with Facebook credentials without sharing any of their personal information.

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A new version of Facebook's login tool will also allow users to control what information those third-party apps can access, such as an email address, birthday or things they have liked on Facebook. Users' names and gender will remain visible to apps.

Additionally, a redesigned App Control Centre will create a central place for users to see what apps they are logged into with Facebook and magage those permisions or remove apps entirely.

"Move fast with stable infra": Mark Zuckerberg. Photo: AP

Zuckerberg said the new privacy tools would let users feel more comfortable about logging into apps using Facebook.

"By giving people more power and control, they're going to trust all the apps that we build more, and over time use them more. And that's positive for everyone."

In a move that seemed to indicate a renewed focus on users, the company ditched its famed motto that calls for "moving fast and breaking things" in favour of "move fast with stable infra" – short for infrastructure.

"Move fast with stable infra might not have the same ring to it, it might not be as catchy," Zuckerberg said. "But it helps us build better experiences."

App Links

Facebook also has made it easier for developers to link to other applications from their own apps with new open source software called App Links.

The idea is that if a user is in a messenger app and taps on a link to an Instagram photo, that link should take them directly to that image in the native Instagram app and not open up a mobile browsing window with the image.

This type of app-to-app linking – often called mobile deep linking – already exists, but works differently on different platforms. Linking to an app or a specific part of an app works one way in iOS, a different way in Android and yet another way for Windows Phone.

Facebook wants to solve this problem with its free, open source App Links. Right now, it supports iOS, Android and Windows Phone, but the company is open to expanding it to other platforms as it develops.

Using App Links, developers can put meta tags in their web pages that direct to specific applications on iOS, Android and Windows Phone. Tapping a link to a Spotify song in Facebook Messenger, for example, will take a user directly to that song in the Spotify app.

If a user doesn't have that app installed on their phone, the link can either take them to the App Store or open up a browser page with the content (if a web version is available).

Mobile ad network

Opening the door to a new source of revenue, the social network also rolled out a new service to distribute ads across a network of mobile applications.

The service, which has been in the works for some time, allows mobile app makers to insert various ads within their software, with Facebook sharing advertising dollars with the developers.

"This is really the first time that we're going to help you monetise in a serious way on mobile," Zuckerberg said.

Twitter's MoPub, which serves as an advertising management tool for app publishers, will allow mobile apps to feature ads for the Facebook audience as well as other networks, the two companies said.

Facebook began testing a mobile ad network with a limited number of advertisers and mobile app publishers in January. It plans to expand the number of app makers that can use the service, although it did not provide a time frame for when the system will become broadly available.

The new mobile ad system, dubbed the Facebook Audience Network, will leverage Facebook's more than 1 million advertisers and its own ability to target users based on their traits.

Facebook generates the bulk of its revenue from ads that appear on its own web pages and within its own mobile app. By distributing ads across a constellation of independent mobile apps, Facebook effectively expands its advertising space, opening the door to more revenue.

To get access to the extra ad space, ad networks typically share the revenue with their partners. Facebook will share most of the ad revenue with apps makers, as is standard in the industry, a source familiar with the matter said.